Prospectus Hit List for May 22

Hit List for May 21
Hit List for May 23Hit List updates are published Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting April 2, 2014. Data presented here is based on games through the day prior to publication.Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor, a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

29

16

28.7

26.5

26.3

.567

.547

36.8%

40.0%

76.8%

3.5%

1.6%

The Cardinals are 0-3 in extra-inning games so you can count them and their best record in the National League out of the World Series hunt right now.

2

28

17

25.5

23.1

22.9

.558

.578

55.3%

24.8%

80.2%

-5.3%

-3.8%

There are two Phil Hughes. The first pitches confidently and dispatches batters efficiently. Then he walks a few guys, throws some gopher balls, and torpedoes the whole thing. The second is a guy who lives in Peoria.

3

29

17

28.0

27.9

27.4

.581

.600

80.1%

7.7%

87.8%

-3.0%

-0.2%

Yu Darvish has thrown 1,086 pitches, tied with Clayton Kershaw for the most in baseball.

4

28

18

28.9

28.4

27.1

.584

.564

48.5%

35.1%

83.5%

3.8%

7.5%

On May 7, Jay Bruce was hitting .246/.296/.345. Since, he's hit .415/.432/.951. This is called fixing it.

5

26

18

25.4

25.4

25.0

.540

.560

23.0%

29.7%

52.7%

-5.3%

14.4%

The Indians have had the platoon advantage in 69 percent of their plate appearances, the most in baseball. And no, that was not an excuse to assuage my puerile sense of humor by writing that number.

6

27

18

24.8

24.8

24.6

.531

.511

13.5%

31.5%

45.0%

3.4%

10.0%

Travis Snider's game-winning grand slam is just another in the strange series of events that will take him from blue chip prospect to a successful duel for the title of the World's Most Interesting Man. "I don't often shoot elderly brand spokesmen in the face with a 19th century colt pistol, but when I do..."

7

27

18

26.9

27.1

26.3

.557

.538

71.1%

10.3%

81.4%

3.0%

15.1%

At the start of the season Evan Gattis was not on Evan Gattis's fantasy team. Now he can't afford himself.

8

24

19

26.6

29.6

28.8

.605

.624

70.9%

15.5%

86.4%

3.9%

-5.1%

I remember when I was a little girl, our house caught on fire. I'll never forget the look on my daddy's face when he gathered me in his arms and raced through the burning building and out to the pavement. And I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames. And when it was all over I said to myself, "Is that all there is?" Then I remembered: There's still Miguel Cabrera.

9

27

19

26.6

27.3

26.5

.557

.577

26.1%

34.0%

60.1%

-4.6%

10.5%

In the eighth inning with runners on first and third and the Red Sox down one, David Ortiz hit into a rally-killing double play. That's Ortiz's problem: a chronic lack of clutch.

10

26

20

23.5

24.4

25.5

.528

.508

33.9%

15.1%

49.0%

3.8%

-2.9%

How do the Giants have the highest scoring offense in baseball? Simple! They don't!

11

26

20

26.3

25.6

25.9

.544

.524

36.3%

18.2%

54.5%

-7.1%

7.8%

At this point I expect the Diamondbacks to sac bunt 27 straight times, high five each other, and then hit the showers.

12

24

21

24.2

24.0

23.9

.501

.521

3.1%

9.4%

12.5%

1.4%

-13.7%

As Jim Johnson entered a tie game in the 10th inning, Orioles fans everywhere thought there's no way he can blow three games in four days. They were wrong. Oh, he didn't blow it, but he could have. He totally could have. For he is Jim Johnson, Closer.

13

21

21

22.9

19.6

19.7

.487

.507

3.7%

8.7%

12.4%

1.0%

-4.9%

The Royals won 7-3 but the fact that they gave up three runs to Houston means they only get two-thirds of a win in the standings.

14

25

21

26.0

27.0

26.9

.517

.497

12.8%

9.2%

22.0%

3.6%

2.5%

MLB.com called Jhoulys Chacin's four-run seventh inning "the only blemish" in his 6 1/3 inning start. I see two problems with that.

15

24

21

23.7

24.7

25.7

.539

.559

15.1%

26.2%

41.3%

4.4%

-0.3%

Every time James Loney gets a hit an angel gets its wings but two years are also counted off the Armageddon clock so it's kind of a wash.

16

25

22

24.6

25.1

24.5

.520

.540

14.1%

21.1%

35.2%

6.4%

11.4%

Yoenis Cespedes went 1-for-5, and has an on-base percentage below .300, but when that one is a solo homer in a 1-0 game, it's easier to forget those bigger issues.

17

23

23

19.8

19.2

19.5

.487

.467

22.6%

15.9%

38.5%

-7.6%

-21.6%

Bryce Harper had two sacrifice bunts because he wants to be the greatest baseball player ever, but he wants to be the greatest internet troll, too.

18

21

23

20.7

21.2

20.8

.475

.495

2.3%

7.0%

9.3%

1.1%

3.4%

Through two games of this three-game series with Boston, eight of Chicago's nine runs have come after two were out and the bases empty.

19

18

24

19.4

17.6

18.7

.420

.439

0.1%

0.2%

0.3%

-0.1%

-1.6%

The Twins played a baseball game and did not win it because they did not score as many runs as their opponents did.

20

21

24

20.5

20.6

20.8

.465

.446

2.9%

2.5%

5.4%

-0.4%

0.6%

The Padres have been hit by 23 pitches, though in fairness 48 of those are Carlos Quentin (factual note: not really; Quentin has just five HBP) (humor note: factual notes detract from the funny).

21

22

24

19.1

19.2

19.2

.454

.435

4.7%

4.8%

9.4%

1.7%

-0.9%

Tell me when to stop. Michael Young is hitting third for the Phillies. Think you can handle more? Fine. Delmon Young is hitting fifth for the alright alright I'm stopping I'm stopping.

22

18

26

17.4

20.3

20.3

.501

.481

14.2%

9.3%

23.5%

-5.4%

-14.1%

Maybe in retrospect I was too quick to grab DodgersBlueJaysWorldSeries.com.

23

17

26

18.1

17.5

17.2

.447

.427

1.6%

1.8%

3.4%

-0.9%

-1.4%

When your star third baseman makes an error that leads to three runs in the first inning, isn't that a signal to call the game and just go out for some pizza?

24

18

26

19.0

19.8

21.2

.460

.440

0.5%

2.6%

3.1%

0.2%

-3.2%

Three of the six pitchers Milwaukee used last night have ERAs over 5.90. Those pitchers gave up two runs in six innings. Stats aren't destiny, man!

25

18

26

21.6

22.9

23.0

.487

.467

0.7%

3.6%

4.3%

-1.6%

-1.1%

Matt Garza returned to the mound, where he threw five innings, gave up one hit and three walks, while striking out five and spitting eleven billion zillion gatrillion times.

26

20

26

19.2

22.0

22.4

.464

.484

1.0%

2.9%

3.9%

-1.7%

-4.7%

Now on Aaron Harang's resume: the four strikeouts and no walks in 3 2/3 innings he threw yesterday. Suspiciously absent: the seven runs and two homers he gave up. Resumes are so deceitful!

27

18

27

19.9

21.3

20.9

.498

.518

4.8%

10.8%

15.6%

2.7%

-4.0%

The Angels are 1-0 when Mike Trout hits for the cycle, meaning they are 17-27 when he does not hit for the cycle. Now we know whose fault the bad start REALLY is.

28

18

27

18.1

16.8

18.1

.448

.468

0.3%

1.9%

2.3%

-0.9%

-1.4%

There is good news and bad news. The good news is Ramon Ortiz started. The bad news is that's also the bad news.

29

13

33

14.4

12.8

14.6

.342

.360

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Astros have scored seven fewer runs than the Diamondbacks, one more than the Pirates, and 18 more than the Phillies and White Sox.

30

13

33

14.2

12.3

12.1

.343

.325

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.1%

I'm sure he's a wonderful person but it's somehow appropriate that the Marlins employ a reliever named Duane Below.